Monday, May 14, 2012

Life Notes: Thank You, Mothers Day - Pastor Paul Reinhard

Worship: Connect with God through songs, prayers, and
creative arts. Invite the Holy Spirit to
move and minister in your group! Be open
to God’s leading and presence! Enjoy
this time with God and one another.

Word: On
Sunday, we said Thank You to the women in our lives seven different times for
seven different things. Today we are
going to revisit these areas and open up the discussion to all. We are going to ask how mothers, fathers,
sisters, brothers, pastors, shepherds, coaches, and interns can do these seven
things better as we love and serve our OIKOS!
Doing these things will help us make a profound difference in the lives
of those around us!

1. Can you think of a verse special thing
that somebody has ever done for you? How did this special something make you
fell and how did it affect your life?

A. How can we help our children,
grandchildren, nieces, nephews, Life Group children and others to grow
spiritually? Think about practical and
specific things that you can do to help nurture spiritual growth. 2 Timothy 1:5

B. How have people not related to you
helped you? Are there young people in
your OIKOS that you can adopt
spiritually? Who has God given you? How can you love
them and help them in practical ways?
Romans 16:13

C. Is your home a safe place? Do you provide an environment of love and
welcome where people can come and experience the grace of God? What steps can you take to create a sanctuary
for those needing rest? Acts 12:12

D. The story of the wedding at Cana is one
of my favorites. I always get a kick out
of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Jesus
essentially tells his mom that fixing the problem at hand is none of His business. Mom thinks otherwise. Over Jesus objection, she tells the servants
to do whatever her son says. When you
read verse 11 it forces you to ask the question… Did Mary push her baby bird
out of the nest? How can we help those
in our OIKOS to move to the next level of life? John 2:1-5 & 11

E. Sometimes God calls us to get our hands
dirty! I have been pooped on, peed on,
thrown up on, bled on, and snoted on. I
have been hit, threatened, and maligned.
I have visited jails, bars, sat
with the dying, and been the one to tell a parent that the teenager they love
so much has just been shot and killed!
Sometimes God taps us to be His representative in terrible situations.
How do we handle these times?
Mark 16:1

F. Everybody needs a cheerleader! Everybody needs somebody to believe in him or
her! Everybody needs somebody to believe
they are the best and the brightest! How
can we better encourage, support, and believe in those around us? Is there somebody specific that God would
have you invest in and champion? How? Mathew 20:20

Witness:
In a national research project,
Dr. Thom Reiner concluded that 96% of the unchurched are “at least somewhat
likely to attend church if invited.”
However, “only 2% of active churchgoers invite an unchurched person to
church over the course of a given year.”
[8 to 15 P. 40] Think about the possibility. If you take the risk of faith and invite
somebody to church… they just might come! Acts 1:8 (NLT) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon
you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in
Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”